Reciprocating systems, such as reciprocating pump systems and similar equipment, operate in many types of cyclic hydraulic applications. For example, reciprocating mud pump systems are used to circulate the mud or drilling fluid on a drilling rig. Pressure peaks accelerate the deterioration of the pump, the pump's fluid end expendable parts, and equipment downstream from the pump with each subsequent pulsation. Failure to control such pressure peaks and inevitably affect the operating performance and operational life of the pump, pump fluid end expendable parts and all downstream components.
Pulsation dampeners are typically placed immediately downstream from a reciprocating pump, often with a relative size and configuration proportional to the volume of desired fluid displacement per stroke of the pump and the maximum allotted magnitude of the pressure peaks experienced by the pump system during each pulsation. Pulsation dampeners thus aid in reducing pump loads and minimizing pulsation amplitudes to the pump, the pump's fluid end expendable parts and to equipment downstream. As a result, pulsation dampeners increase the relative operating performance and life of the pump, the pump's fluid end expendable parts and any equipment downstream from the pump.
One type of a conventional pump discharge dampener includes an output tube that is located in the pump dampener outlet. This outlet tube passes from the interior of the pump dampener to the pump dampener outlet. All fluid flow passes through this outlet tube, also known variously as the “pressure drop tube”, “pressure drop tube assembly”, “choke tube”, “choker tube”, and other names. Typically, the outlet tube is a single passage tube, which may be either internal or external to a cavity. In essentially equivalent structures, orifice plates are used in lieu of tubes.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for an improved pump discharge dampener to increase performance and pump life.